Yoga Practice Stretching Some To The Limit

WCBS-TV—September 15, 2010

When people think of yoga, they think of gentleness and serenity, but many may be surprised to realize that along with a yoga practice comes the potential for injury.

Experts say it’s not unexpected that people would be injured during yoga simply because so many are now practicing it. Another factor, however, is that many people just don’t realize the potential for injury.Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Michelle Carlson of Hospital for Special Surgery has seen too many injuries.

“The one downside is that people don’t think when they go into Yoga that it can actually cause problems for them,” Carlson said.

Carlson said some injuries are triggered by unknown pre-existing conditions — things her patients don’t discover until they start yoga.

“Its very common that you don’t know you have arthritis, its been going on in your hand for a couple of years and hasn’t been symptomatic and until you really put a lot of stress on it, it doesn’t bother you,” Carlson said.